The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1887-07-09
General Nics,oll's Course
To the Shreveport Times.

a soldier, statesman, have united
in the clamorouss howl that while
governor he appointed some negroes
and some Republicans to Office.
There are to this puny charge two
perfect answers
/. Tie official journals Of the Sen,
ate will show that his appointments
were confirmed by a Democratic
Senate, which bore on it's roll the
names Of such Democrats as Henry
L. Garland, F. S. Goodc, G. j.
Boatuer, Hardy Richardson, Louis
Texada, James B. Enstis, f. 3.
Stuhbs, DR.. l.. G. Perkins, T. C.
Zacharie, II. D. Ogden, W. y.
Robertson Il. D. White and others
If Nichols sinncd, then we're all Of
our Democratic State senator's sin
ncrs. 2. Every true man in this
State knows we'll that the represen-
tatives Of the Democratic party Of
Louisiana, pressed, upon the one
side. by usurpatory State govern
ment hacked by the ignorant negro
vote, and on the other hand by the
Federal administration, of which
General Grant were the civil as
we'll as the military head. was un-
der the dire necessity of making
concessions, and resorting to expe-
dients Of the character now under
review. What have not our people
been compelled to do in the hope of
freeing their State and themselves
from the horrors of reconstruction
and the nightmare of Radical domi,
nation e?
In 1865 did we not support J,
Madison Wells for governor And
in 1868 Judge J. G. Talialerro ? In
1872 did the Democratic patty not
make an alliance with Gov. War
moth 4? Were not Armstead and
Sclla Martin. colorcd men, placed
upon the Democratic ticket and
voted for? Did we not vote for
Horace Greeley in 1872, and in
1878 did not the McEncry lesisla-
ture, struggling for the existence of
| the de iure State government. elect
Gen. w. L. Mcmillan, a Radical
| Republican. to the United States
Senate Z? Has not our people, in
their efforts to control their local at-
fairs, been forced time and again to
make combinations in local elections
with the negro voters? In the bit
| terness of our distress. what have VIC
/ not done, and justihabIy done, to
rescue ourselves from the CALLING
yoke Of our oppressors? The very
men who are now bowling them
selves hoarse with these charges al
Francis Il. Nichols, that heroic
man. who was the first to break the
power of Radical Republican, rnle
in Louisiana. and deliver his people
llrom the bondage they were in from
1867 to 1917, know ful! we'll these
| historic facts, and that the whole
body Of the white people of tht
! State had assisted in all Of the com
| binations above referred to, in th'
hope Of deIiverance.
! And in 1877, after the Nicholl
government had wrested the Suprem
| Court from Packard, and we wer
going through that period OF fe; -
suspense, imposed by Presiden
Grant upon both the rival claimant
for coutrol of the State government
when Packard's legislature wa
daily assembled at the regular legis
lative hall, and the Nichols )egis
lature at another place in Ne'
Orleans, who docs not know that tn
question became one OF cnduranc
on the one hand, and Of disintegra
. ton on the other. and that, in cor
, sequence, the whole issue depende
=, upon the Nichols government bein'
able to draw from Packard, men
! bers of the Legislature who had bee
elected. and also were adhering t
the Packard government? [
Who does not remember the thrI
of delight that swept over our stat
:, when Pinchback and L. /. Allan
= and other representative coiore
| men in and out of the Lesislatn'
= abandoned Packard and joined IL
4 neonlc under Governor Nichols
Who does not remember the exnlt'
t;or of al our Dponie, when Allal